I apologize, I didn't mean to take almost 2 weeks to update. I was grounded from the computer so....anyways! I'm not keeping you all from reading any longer!

4-Running Lines

Cornelia rolled over in her bed and spoke into her cordless phone, "Yeah, Elyon, seriously I get it."

"I'm just trying to protect you," Elyon's voice said, and Cornelia figured the girl was lucky they weren't in person or else she would have wanted to punch her.

"Well don't worry, they aren't going to like, replace you as my best friend."

She heard Elyon sigh and then reply, "So you're still coming to the party next weekend right?"

"Wouldn't miss it." Cornelia said. Ever since sophomore year Elyon had held a party to celebrate a new school year beginning. For the last two years it had been at her parents beach house and the plan was for it to be held there again. "But listen," Cornelia started up, "I've got to go."

She didn't need to hear Elyon to know that she was nodding, "Okay, well…I'll see you at the mall tomorrow." It was a tradition of hers and Elyon to go shopping every Sunday and grab lunch at the mall.

"Yeah," Cornelia said, and then hung up her phone. She then reached under her bed and pulled out the her cell phone and flipped through her contacts until she came up to Hay Lin's name. She pressed the talk button on her phone, and waited until the third ring.

"Hello?" Hay Lin answered quietly.

"Hi Hay Lin." Cornelia said rather quickly, "So, listen. I know you aren't supposed to tell me because its all confidential until Monday." She stopped and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen, "But I was wondering who you guys cast as Hercules."

There was silence for a few moments, like Hay Lin was deciding whether or not to tell her. Then the girls voice responded, "I would tell you if I could, but I don't think that I should."

Cornelia sighed. She fell back so her head was resting on her pillow, "Please, Hay? Look, if you want to know why I can tell you." She paused for a short moment, then continued on, "It's seven o clock on a Saturday and I have nothing to do. I figured that if you told me who it was I could head over to Mike's or Caleb's - whoever got it - and practice lines with them."

Hay Lin's voice once again did not reply for a few moments, but Cornelia was convinced she would tell her. After all, she had made a pretty good reason as to why she wanted to know.

"Caleb got the part," Hay Lin said. "And yes, in case you're wondering, I did tell him already."

Cornelia felt herself starting to smile. "Do you think you could give me his number so I could call him for his address?"

There was the sound of papers shuffling, and Hay Lin read out a number. Cornelia scribbled down the digits onto the paper and thanked Hay Lin. Then she punched the set of numbers into her phone and waited. She really hoped Caleb's family wasn't the kind that only picked up to numbers they knew.

She concluded that they weren't when a voice answered the phone. Cornelia recognized it to be Caleb's and immediately replied.

"Hey Caleb. It's Cornelia."

"Oh…hey."

"So I know you got the part. I was thinking I could pop over tonight and we could run lines? Just give me your address, I can be over in ten."

"Umm…listen, I don't think that's such a good idea."

"You can't say no now, I'm already at my car." She said, even though she was still laying on her bed.

There was silence, and then Caleb replied, "Alright." he said, and then dictated his address to her. She scribbled it onto the same sheet she had written his number on.

"Great, I'll be over soon."

When she got into her car she turned up her music and started singing along to the song playing: Love Story by Taylor Swift. She pressed down on her gas pedal and started down the street, thinking to herself that she was happy Caleb had been chosen as Hercules. He was, after all, more muscular than Mike had been. And he wasn't terrible to look at. In fact, he was quite nice to look at once you past the not so nice clothes he wore. Cornelia frowned at herself when she realized what she was thinking about. The fact that she found Caleb attractive was one thing. The fact that her friends wouldn't accept him was another.

... ...

Caleb threw the last of his clothes strewn on the floor into his closet when he heard the doorbell ring. He knew it was Cornelia, and for some reason he was nervous. Normally around girls he was completely comfortable. And he should have been around Cornelia. He had no interest in her, nor would he ever. The last person he imagined himself falling for was a rich girl like her. They were all snobs, as far as he knew.

"Hey," Cornelia smiled when he pulled open the door.

"Hi," he bluntly replied. " I know this place is cramped, and probably not what you're used to but…" he broke off mid-sentence, and started a new topic, "Did you want a drink?"

Cornelia shook her head, "Nope." She stepped into the house and took a quick look around.

Caleb was ready to invite her into the living room when he heard someone behind them.

"Caleb, you didn't tell me you were having a friend over," his father's booming voice said. Caleb looked at his feet as his father stepped forward and held out his hand to Cornelia, "And a pretty one at that. Hi, I'm Julian."

Caleb was surprised Cornelia didn't run out the door after seeing Julian. His hair was a mess, he hadn't shaved in a over a month, and his breath smelled of alcohol. Instead she grinned and introduced herself, "Hi, I'm Cornelia. I'm starring in the play alongside Caleb."

"Play?" Julian furrowed his brow and turned to Caleb, "Son, you didn't tell me you were in the play!" Caleb jumped slightly when his father patted him hard on the back. Caleb caught Cornelia's eye and could tell she knew she had said something she shouldn't have.

"Yeah…well," Caleb started, but decided not to bother. He took a few steps backward and glanced at Cornelia, "C'mon. We can practice in my room."

Cornelia stepped round Julian and followed Caleb to the end of the hall, where a room about half the size of hers was.

"I have got to say," Caleb heard her say, "This isn't what I thought you're room would look like."

Caleb couldn't help but grin, "You've imagined what my room looks like?"

He almost burst out laughing when he noticed the color rise in Cornelia's face, "No!" she demanded, "I…I've just been in a lot of boys rooms."

Caleb chuckled, and he noticed Cornelia's mouth drop open.

"That's not what I meant!" She denied, but then she smiled and let out a few giggles, "I just figured you'd have posters of girls in bikinis like most boys do."

Caleb shook his head, "Well, you thought wrong." he replied simply, then gestured to his bed, "You can sit."

Cornelia daintily stepped across the room and took a seat on his bed. "So you're friends with Irma?"

Caleb pulled the spinning chair he had at his desk towards the bed and took a seat, "I thought we were running lines."

Cornelia looked sort of surprised. He watched as she took a breath, "We are. I was just curious."

"Yeah, me and Irma are friends. We became friends after you ditched her."

"Interesting."

"Yep."

"Can I ask you something Caleb?"

"Shoot."

Cornelia took in another breath. The words came out in a jumbled mess and Caleb asked her to repeat herself. "Why does it seem like you don't want to ever talk to me?"

Caleb had to think of an answer, so he bought some time by responding with another question, "You aren't used to not being the center of attention, are you?"

"Not at all." Cornelia said, and he could tell she was being one hundred percent honest. Was this girl for real?

Well, she told the truth, so he decided he might as well tell the truth also. "To me, you seem self-centered, and like you think you're above because you have a rich daddy."

"Stereotypical bitch." He heard her mumble, and he chuckled.

"Don't take it personally. I've got pretty tough opinions on most people."

Cornelia shot him a look that was difficult to make out. Then she shrugged her shoulders and mumbled with sarcasm, "Fine. Because most people wouldn't find that offensive."

Caleb brought his lips together, wanting to take back what he had said. Even though she was who she was he did feel bad about his bluntness. "So, are we going to read these lines?"

Cornelia suddenly seemed to forget everything he had just said. She whipped out her script from her bag and tossed it to her side on the bed. "Which scene?"

Caleb flipped through the first few pages and stopped when he saw Meg's first appearance, "How about the one when they meet. After he rescues her."

Cornelia nodded and stood up for the proper feel of her character.

"Don't you need that?" Caleb held out his arm, holding his index finger in the direction of her script.

"Nah…I know most of the lines."

"Then why did you bring it?"

"A good actress is prepared for any situation." She replied. And Caleb followed up with no further questions.

They ran that scene twice, and then headed onto the one where Meg takes Hercules to spend the day with her, leading onto the weak ankles one they did at Caleb's audition. By the time they were finished, it was nearly ten o clock, and Cornelia figured it was time for her to get going.

"Can I ask you one more thing, Caleb?"

"Yeah, go ahead." Caleb replied.

"Did you really mean it, when you said I was shallow…and self centered?"

Caleb found himself struggling with his answer. Did he really mean that? She had been relatively normal since they actually started speaking. He realized that she didn't think she was above everyone else, but that she just had more confidence than the girls he was used to being around. At least, that's what she had shown him these past few days.

"I think," Caleb started. He paused, searching for the right words. When he found them, he went on, "That's what I thought of you, not what I think of you."

"And what do you think of me," Cornelia asked him.

Once again, Caleb was careful about the selection of his word. "I don't know quite yet."

He walked Cornelia to his front door and pulled it open for her. Cornelia stopped and leaned against the hinges. Even though it was dark, her blonde hair and bright blue eyes stood out vibrantly, "Well, I suppose 'I don't know' is better than 'Self-centered and above.'" She gave him the tiniest smile before walking off into the darkness and into her car.

... ...

Cornelia pressed on her brakes when she reached a yellow light. Caleb had thought she was shallow. She couldn't say she was surprised, but she couldn't say it didn't hurt. Normally it wouldn't. With any other guy, that is, it wouldn't hurt. But maybe Caleb wasn't just any other guy. For some reason, even when he wasn't around, she was thinking about him. She shouldn't have been, because often she didn't think much of other guys besides the famous ones like Channing Tatum. That was why she didn't date very much. Guys at her school weren't the ones she was looking for a long term relationship with. She just liked to have fun with them for about a week and then she got bored. But there was something about Caleb that kept drawing her thoughts to him. At first she figured it must have been that unlike any other guys who flocked over and stared at her, Caleb didn't do that. So now she found herself questioning yet again: Why isn't he interested in me? That was when a new question sparked: Why can't I get him out of my head?

I'm so excited to get the next chapter posted. I've been planning one of the scenes in it forever!

So Here's a little look at Chapter 5:

... ...

She continued to hold her jacket over her head as she turned to face the road. With the rain falling so hard she hadn't even noticed that a car had slowed down and was moving at her pace. In the drivers seat sat someone she hadn't been expecting to see.

"Do you want a ride?" Caleb asked her.

... ...

And, of course, review!